Protecting Your Digital Camera

We get plenty of customers who’ve accidentally deleted their photos. Losing memories by accident can be awful, but don’t think that only a mistake on your part can jeopardize your photos. There are plenty of external factors to consider!

Temperature

Every camera manufacturer will supply their own recommendations, but Canon’s suggestion of keeping between 32°F and 104°F (0° to 40° C) is a good one to stay safe for the inner mechanisms and the display screen of the camera. The memory card itself can withstand a much larger range, but it is possible to lose your data if the SD or CF (Compact Flash) card is exposed to subzero (<15° C) temperatures.

Moisture

Obviously, it’s not good to wash your memory card in your jean pockets, but did you know that that’s not the only way moisture can damage your photos? Extreme humidity for extended periods of time isn’t good for your memory card or your camera. A tip from some professional photographers: save silica gel packets (those “DO NOT EAT” packets you find in new coats and purses) and keep them with your camera. These will absorb some of the excess moisture in the air!

Sand and Dust

Particles like sand and dust are much more of a concern for your camera lens than for your memory card, but &endash; make no mistake &endash; they can do damage. This is especially the case for CF cards, which have openings between the pins in the connection interface.

Impact

Dropping a memory card, even if doesn’t appear to have any physical damage, can result in data loss or corruption. Thankfully, it usually needs to be pretty high for this to affect it: 9+ feet (3+ meters) for a CF card or 12+ feet (4+ meters) for an SD card.

Watch out for these environmental factors that can make you lose your photos! If you encounter these situations, or if you just accidentally delete your data, be sure to call the data recovery experts: Outsource Data Recovery, 1-800-573-4909.